Orient-Express a genteel journey into yesteryear
TRAINS | Orient-Express British Pullman puts passengers in lap of luxury
(Courtesy/Lori Rackl, For the Sun-Times)
LONDON -- It's almost 9 a.m. on a Wednesday at London's Victoria Station. Harried commuters are rushing to work. College-age kids lugging overstuffed backpacks are studying train schedules.
But on platform No. 2, it's an entirely different scene. About 200 of us stand here waiting, many with cameras at the ready, all dressed a bit nicer than your average train passenger. Then again, we're not waiting for your average train.
We're waiting to climb aboard an Orient-Express British Pullman, a string of painstakingly restored luxury train carriages from the early 20th century -- the golden age of rail travel.
These plush, elegant cars with exotic names like Minerva and Ibis used to carry lords, ladies and other well-heeled passengers on the British leg of the classic Orient-Express journey across Europe.
Nowadays, these refurbished British Pullman carriages take people on day trips and weekend excursions, giving guests a nostalgic taste of what it was like to ride the rails in high style.
My husband and I booked one of the day trips to Bath, a town famous for its hot springs, Jane Austen and Georgian architecture. To be honest, we didn't care where we were headed. This trip truly was about the journey, not the destination.
And our journey started as the historic train slowly pulled into the station, like a diva stretching her stilettoed foot out of the limo and onto the red carpet. The anticipation was palpable. People jockeyed for a better view while cameras clicked away.
A ruddy-faced rail worker furiously shoveled big chunks of black coal into a glowing orb of fire, feeding the engine that would haul us 117 miles to the town of Westbury. That's where our steam locomotive would be swapped with a diesel version for the final 17-mile push to Bath.
Steam shot from the train like an overheated teakettle as men in crisp uniforms helped us aboard and ushered us to our wingback chairs. Everything from the polished wood paneling to the ornate carpet and tasseled curtains looked just as it did in 1925 when this 20-seat carriage was brand new.
In swirling script, the letters VSOE -- for Venice Simplon Orient-Express -- graced the china, flower vase and silverware sitting on our white linen tablecloth. I felt like I was in a time warp, half expecting to glance over and spot Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot reading the paper.
The train started chugging. We sank back into our comfy chairs and watched the gritty, urban landscape give way to England's bucolic countryside.
We passed by cute towns with even cuter names. Woking. Whitchurch. Middle Wallop.
Out the window we could see trainspotters staking us out like paparazzi, waiting in the middle of a wheat field or parking lot. As we sped by they smiled and waved, videotaping us and jotting down our engine number in their notebooks.
British people sure like their trains, especially the old-fashioned, steam- hauled ones.
As we settled into the gently rocking rhythm of the rail car, I was struck by how peaceful travel can be. No one was yapping on their cell phone, blasting their headset or reclining their seat into my navel. All I heard were muffled conversations, teacups clinking on saucers and the creaking wood of our carriage as we powered along.
The ride is so serene, you're tempted to fall asleep. But that would be an expensive nap. This trip costs $690, which includes a bellini brunch, four-course dinner with a bottle of wine and a motor coach tour of Bath, along with admission to the Roman Baths. (Less expensive excursions are available, such as a $330 day trip to Anne Boleyn's childhood home, Hever Castle.)
After a few hours on our own exploring Bath, we made our way back to the station for our 4:55 p.m. return trip to London. Good thing we weren't late. At precisely 4:55 p.m., we were off.
"Does anyone ever not make it back in time?" I asked our waiter.
"Oh yes," he said, begging the question: What happens then?
"We leave without them," he said, freshening up my coffee. "We wait for no one."
Just like a diva.